Terms and Conditions

2.1 Age Requirement

You must be at least 13 years of age to use the Platform. If you are under 18, you confirm that you have obtained parental or guardian consent to use the Platform and participate in events.

2.2 Account Creation

To access certain features, you must create an account by providing accurate and complete information including your name and email address. You may register using Google OAuth, GitHub OAuth, or email authentication.

2.3 Account Security

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activities that occur under your account. You agree to notify us immediately of any unauthorized use of your account.

2.4 Accurate Information

You agree to provide truthful, accurate, and complete information during registration and event participation. Providing false information may result in account termination and disqualification from events.

3.1 Acceptable Use

You agree to use the Platform only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these Terms. You will not:

• Violate any applicable laws or regulations
• Infringe on intellectual property rights of others
• Upload malicious code, viruses, or harmful content
• Harass, abuse, or harm other users
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Platform or other users' accounts
• Use automated systems (bots, scrapers) without our express written permission
• Submit plagiarized or pre-existing work as original hackathon submissions
• Engage in cheating, including resubmitting old projects or building before event start times

3.2 Event-Specific Terms

When participating in events on the Platform, you agree to comply with event-specific rules, codes of conduct, and requirements set by event organizers. Violation of event rules may result in disqualification and removal from the event.

3.3 Anti-Cheating and Fair Play

BuilderBase employs automated systems to detect cheating, including code comparison across events globally, submission timestamp verification, and pre-build detection. Any detected violations will result in immediate disqualification and may lead to permanent platform suspension.

5.1 Platform Ownership

The Platform, including all software, content, trademarks, and materials, is owned by BuilderBase and protected by intellectual property laws. You may not copy, modify, distribute, or reverse engineer any part of the Platform.

5.2 Your Content

You retain ownership of content you submit to the Platform, including project submissions, code, designs, and other materials ("User Content"). By submitting User Content, you grant BuilderBase and the event organizer a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to:

• Host, store, and display your content on the Platform
• Share your content with event organizers, judges, and mentors as necessary for event operations
• Showcase winning projects in marketing materials (with your consent)

5.3 Event Organizer Rights

Event-specific intellectual property terms are set by organizers. You agree to comply with any additional IP requirements specified by event organizers, including open-source licensing requirements.

5.4 Original Work Requirement

You represent and warrant that all User Content you submit is your original work or that you have the necessary rights and permissions. Submitting plagiarized or infringing content may result in disqualification and legal action.

6.1 Registration and Approval

Registering for an event does not guarantee acceptance. Event organizers may screen applications and approve participants at their discretion.

6.2 Team Formation

You may form or join teams according to event rules. Team formation policies (team size limits, solo participation allowance) are set by organizers.

6.3 Submissions

Project submissions must be made by event deadlines. Submission requirements (video demos, code repositories, documentation) are defined by organizers. Late submissions may not be accepted.

6.4 Code of Conduct

You agree to treat all participants, organizers, mentors, judges, and sponsors with respect. Harassment, discrimination, hate speech, or abusive behavior will result in immediate removal from the event and potential platform ban.

7.1 Role Responsibilities

If you serve as a mentor, judge, or contributor, you agree to:

• Provide fair, unbiased evaluation and feedback
• Maintain confidentiality of non-public project information
• Disclose any conflicts of interest
• Act professionally and ethically

7.2 Judging Criteria

Judges evaluate projects according to organizer-defined criteria. Judging decisions are final and not subject to appeal unless fraud or bias is demonstrated.

7.3 No Conflicts of Interest

Mentors and judges must not provide unfair advantage to specific teams or individuals. Any conflicts of interest must be disclosed to organizers immediately.

8.1 Prize Distribution

Prizes are awarded by event organizers according to event rules. BuilderBase facilitates prize distribution but is not responsible for fulfillment.

8.2 Prize Eligibility

To receive prizes, winners must:

• Provide accurate payout information (legal name, address, tax details, banking information)
• Comply with any tax obligations in their jurisdiction
• Meet eligibility requirements (age, location restrictions, etc.)

8.3 Tax Responsibility

You are responsible for reporting and paying any taxes on prizes received. BuilderBase and event organizers may report prize awards to tax authorities as required by law.

8.4 Processing Time

Prizes are typically processed within 30–60 days after winners provide complete payout information.

9.1 Platform "As Is"

The Platform is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, express or implied. We do not guarantee uninterrupted, error-free, or secure operation.

9.2 No Guarantee of Results

We do not guarantee event outcomes, prize awards, career opportunities, or other benefits from platform use.

9.3 Third-Party Events

BuilderBase is not responsible for events organized by third parties. Event organizers are solely responsible for event content, operations, safety, and prize fulfillment.

9.4 Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, BuilderBase shall not be liable for:

• Indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages
• Lost profits, data, or opportunities
• Damages exceeding €100 or the amount you paid to BuilderBase in the past 12 months, whichever is greater

9.5 Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold BuilderBase harmless from any claims, damages, or expenses arising from your use of the Platform, violation of these Terms, or infringement of third-party rights.

10.1 Termination by You

You may close your account at any time by contacting support@builderbase.com. Upon account closure, your personal data will be deleted according to our retention policy.

10.2 Termination by Us

We may suspend or terminate your account immediately if you:

• Violate these Terms or event rules
• Engage in fraudulent, abusive, or illegal activity
• Pose a security risk to the Platform or other users

10.3 Effect of Termination

Upon termination, you lose access to the Platform and your account data. Event history and achievements may be retained for platform integrity and organizer records.

12.1 Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of Sweden, without regard to conflict of law principles.

12.2 Dispute Resolution

Any disputes arising from these Terms or your use of the Platform shall be resolved through:

1. Informal negotiation: Contact us at support@builderbase.com to attempt resolution
2. Mediation: If negotiation fails, disputes may be submitted to mediation
3. Arbitration or Swedish courts: Unresolved disputes shall be submitted to binding arbitration or Swedish courts in Stockholm

12.3 Class Action Waiver

You agree to resolve disputes individually, not as part of a class action or representative proceeding.

13.1 Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and BuilderBase regarding Platform use.

13.2 Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in full effect.

13.3 No Waiver

Our failure to enforce any right or provision does not constitute a waiver of that right.

13.4 Assignment

You may not assign or transfer these Terms without our consent. We may assign these Terms to affiliates or successors.

13.5 Force Majeure

We are not liable for delays or failures due to circumstances beyond our reasonable control.